Here’s middle-grade nonfiction that reads like a thriller. With murder,
court battles, and sensational newspaper headlines, the story of Lizzie Borden
is compulsively readable and perfect for the Common Core.

Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty
whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.

In a compelling, linear narrative, Miller takes
readers along as she investigates a brutal crime: the August 4, 1892, murders
of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden. The accused? Mild-mannered and
highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby.
Most of what is known about Lizzie’s arrest and subsequent trial (and
acquittal) comes from sensationalized newspaper reports; as Miller sorts fact
from fiction, and as a legal battle gets under way, a gripping portrait of a
woman and a town emerges.

Review:

Oh, Lizzy. Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy. Such a troubled girl you
are.

If you’re not familiar with the Lizzy Borden story
(trial, history, scandal, whatever you want to call it) and want a disturbingly
fun, fast read, then go grab THE BORDEN MURDERS. The story of Lizzy Borden
sounds like fiction—a young woman hacks her parents to death with an axe?
Especially in a time where murders were a rarity and most often perpetrated by
men.

Lizzy Borden became a household name and her legend lives
on in this book. It’s eerily fascinating to read it and Sarah Miller approaches
the subject in such a factual but captivating way. You would think this book
wouldn’t be geared towards Middle Grade readers, but it’s historical account of
one of the most disturbing murders in US History is what makes it a great read
for them.

Oct 21, 2015

My second year at New York Comic Con was just as epic and awesome as my first. Not only did I get to meet up with new and old friends, but there were celebrity spottings, Chewy spottings, and (of course) some amazing prizes won. Plus, it's always fun having a press pass and access to all the coolest events and things.

There is nothing like walking up to the Javits Center and seeing everyone dressed up in their CosPlay. There is an energy that radiates from blocks away and the epicenter is the Javits.Walking in is unlike anything else. You will walk past some of he coolest impromptu photoshoots, see the craziest outfits and marvel that the majority are homemade. You can wander the show floor for hours, checking out everything from Funkos to giant Lego creations to cars. NYCC is a mecca for all things pop culture. Panels are also available for the brave (seriously, you have to wait in endless lines, committed to your cause). Once again there was a Walking Dead panel and the usual other shows, but I loved that ABC Family had a strong presence around NYCC this year. I cannot wait for the Shadowhunters series!MTV was also hyping their shows like Teen Wolf and the upcoming Shannara Chronicles (which looks absolutely amzeballs).NYCC is insane. It's chaotic and crazy, with people trying to visit exhibits, panels, and meet their favorite celebrities (so jealous of my friends who met the cast of Arrow). It's a place where being a fan is cool and the crazier you are, the more you're embraced.These are my people.

Oct 19, 2015

I am so, so excited to start this brand new feature on my blog where I will give you (the parents) quick reviews of children's picture books and board books. I love picture books - from the illustrations to the lessons to the smiles they put on faces. Here's hoping you and the children around you find some new favorites, too.

Filled with cute illustrations, HOW TO BEHAVE AT A DOG SHOW is a books adults and children will both love. Julia and Charles try to enter their dog Rexie into a local dog show with disastrous and hilarious results. In the end, if you can't beat 'em, make your own competition and do it your way.

BIZZY BEAR ZOOKEEPER is a fun, interactive board book that you and your toddler will love exploring together. Rich with illustrations there is something to touch and move on every page which will fascinate young readers. Little ones will love helping Bizzy Bear out at the zoo.

BEEP BEEP GO TO SLEEP is a sweet story of a little boy putting his robots to bed ... But they won't seem to stay in bed. (sound familiar parents?) Over the course of the book, the robots cause a little chaos and mischief until finally their boy gets them settled and they all go to sleep. Perhaps having a child who fights sleep might benefit from putting a few toys of their own through the bedtime process.

Oct 16, 2015

Kate Weston can piece together most of the bash at John Doone’s house:
shots with Stacey Stallard, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home
early—the feeling that maybe he’s becoming more than just the guy she’s known
since they were kids.

But when a picture of Stacey passed out over
Deacon Mills’s shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she
doesn’t have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate’s
classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can’t be ignored
begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same question:
Where was Ben when a terrible crime was committed?

This story—inspired by real events—from debut
novelist Aaron Hartzler takes an unflinching look at silence as a form of
complicity. It’s a book about the high stakes of speaking up, and the razor
thin line between guilt and innocence that so often gets blurred, one hundred
and forty characters at a time.

Review:

I’m still at a loss for how to review this book. Short of
the massive amounts of twitter and email fangirling I’ve done about it, putting
into words why this book is so special is agonizingly hard. WHAT WE SAW is not
an easy book. This book gutted me in a way I can only ever remember one other
book doing in my 3 decades of living and reading.

WHAT WE SAW is a book ripped from the headlines. You know
the story. I know the story. But reading it this way, in Kate’s perspective
versus seeing the 30 second news clips as you’re changing from a day at
work/school is much different. You can’t shrug off the behavior as “boys will
be boys” and it makes you question things.

What would you do? Would you do the right thing? How do
you know what the right thing is?

Aaron Hartzler has a quiet grace throughout this book
that is mesmerizing. Often with “issue books”, the voice of the author bleeds
into the characters, almost directing (often time unintentionally) the readers’
thoughts to make specific conclusions. Hartzler doesn’t do this. He gently and
tactfully presents the facts the way one would peel the layers of an onion.

And yes, each layer will make your eyes sting and your
gut clench harder than the next.

This book is hard to get through. I had to walk away multiple
times. It’s been 2 weeks and I’m in tears writing this review, remembering the
way character’s betrayed me and feeling the impact of that. WHAT WE SAW will
linger with you for a long time after you read it, and it should.

Hartzler will challenge you to think. He will leave you
wondering “what if” until the wee hours of the morning. But this is one of
those books where you have to feel that and remember that while books are fun
and great and exciting, they can also be humbling and educational and warnings.

Oct 15, 2015

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her
former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts
on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her
all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always
worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she
meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find
herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance
in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to
take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine:
entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely
candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any
twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and
maybe herself most of all.

Review:

Willowdean is my soul sister.

I'm not even kidding.

I loved every single word, sentence, paragraph, and
chapter of this book. It breathes life into the way a lot of women (myself
included) often feel. It's positive and celebrates all forms of beauty.

Every person - teen, adult, male, female - needs to read
this. I wanted to run out and press this book into the hands of everyone I
know. Do you want to know how my brain works? This is how.

Willowdean is such a strong but exposed character. She
has a snarky wit that comes from years of perfecting self-deprecation and
deflection. It’s a defense mechanism that helps her be a little less vulnerable
from the world, but watching her break through these defensive walls is
inspiring.

If you want a book about self-discovery, here you go. If
you want a book with some kissin’ and hot guys? This book right here. If you
want a book to make you laugh out loud? I got you covered. This book has
something for everyone to love.

Oct 14, 2015

It's been awhile since I did a giveaway hop, and I figured, why not?This giveaway hop is hosted by the amazing Kathy @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. It will run from October 15-31, 2015. I'll choose the winner on Nov. 1, 2015This one is INTERNATIONAL! So best of luck and start thinking of which book you'd like to get! I love my followers, so I had to make it accessible for all!

The Prize:

You can win a $15 gift certificate to

if you live in the US,OR

if you live outside the US! That means this giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository ships free to you. Not sure? Check this list HERE.

The Rules:

*I will contact the winner via email and they will have 48 hours to reply to my email before another winner is chosen!*Must be over 13a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oct 11, 2015

It's here! It's here! Day 1 of the official Harper Teen Winter 2016 Tour! 45 days of incredible books and bloggers sure to keep you reading your way through winter. I am so excited to kick off today with:

The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.

Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.

But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.

This thrilling novel is a remarkable tale of danger and discovery, from debut author Michelle Modesto.

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner's family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly Ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries.

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn't right on the prairie. She's heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

Review:

I am a horror junkie. I watch horror movies to fall asleep to and as background noise all the time. I watched the scene of Turistas where they were cutting people open to harvest their organs to study for my anatomy midterm. The scarier the better.

Horrorbooksare a little harder sell for me. Because I'm used to creepy and crazy, the book has to balance character development with creepy and throw in some unreal twists. DAUGHTERS UNTO DEVILS does just that.

Amanda, the main character, is a little hard to read in the beginning. She's made some bad choices and believes herself already claimed for hell (remember, back then it was all about morals and religion and straying outside the designated lines was cause for social suicide and families banishing/disowning members). She's accepted this fact with a calm sort of stoicism that gives the reader a chill. But as the story progresses, you see Amanda come to life and start to fight for herself and her family.

The setting is what helps bring the book to life. The isolated prairie life where you're miles from neighbors and civilization is enough to give anyone the willies, but throw in a house that's drenched in blood and a some sadistic campfire tales, and it takes on a whole new level of OMG.

Like I said before - I love horror and I've watched/read a lot of it. This book gave me an actual nightmare. Thatneverhappens. Amy Lukavics gets a major award from me for that fact alone. If you're squeamish and afraid, might be best to let the big kids handle it.

Oct 1, 2015

When your friends ask you to do something - you do it (unless it's jumping off a bridge because .... Oh, who am I kidding? I'd do that, too). When my friends at FictionFare and Swoony Boys Podcast asked me to participate in their Blog Friends Forever Tour, I jumped at it. Meg, Jaime, Kassiah, and Erin have become my Fab Four (that's how I refer to them in my head) in the last few years.Having hung out with them multiple times at BEA, watched them all 4 jump in whenever I needed a blog tour host, or exchange countless tweets and messages, I can safely say that these four girls are incredible and I am so blessed to know them. So for my Blogger Besties post, I have to give it up to my Fab Four, whom I love and adore beyond words. I don't say it enough, but I love the phenomenal force that is you four. The way you're always willing to help me and the way to absorbed me into your group is humbling and I am so grateful for each of you.

With Kassiah & Meg .... why do I not have a pic with Jaime & Erin?!

I can't mention Blogger Besties without mentioning my actual bestie, Nicole from Paperback Princess. Blogging brought us together a few years ago and now I can't imagine my life without her. You know how you have that one person who just gets you? Who accepts your faults and your flaws, understands that you can be a hyper whackadoodle or a gloomy gus in the span of 5 minutes but still loves you? That's Nicole.Nicole, you are my person. Always.

My HarCo bloggers, Jess and Jen. Finding these two within a 2 mile radius of me has been a lifesaver. They never flinch when boxes of books arrive at my house to be sorted, they just ask what time I need them to show up and what kind of pizza (Jess) and cupcakes (Jen) I want. I don't say it enough, but thank you both for being there for me even when I am a total, psychotic PITA that you would like to disown.

With Jess

With Jen

My 2 Stephs. Steph and Stephanie brighten my day on a daily basis. From road trips to voxer rants, to makeup trips and blogger tips, you two are the bees knees of bloggers. I'm pretty sure the definition of Stephanie is AWESOMESAUCE with a side of JAMMF.The Brown One (aka my Amazon Princess) is my brain twin. This girl understands my penchant and drive to organize, prep and plan like no one else. If I ever go to battle, I'm making Stephanie my General.The Sinclair One (aka my Mini-Mom) is one of the few people I know that just loves to take care of her friends and family. Steph is that person I need in my life to help me see other perspectives and keep myself in check at times.

With Stephanie & Steph

My girls Liza and Andye who I fell in love with one magical rooftop party a long time ago. There is no one else I would rather trade texts with at 7 am. You two have brought so much joy into my life.

With Andye & Liza

All my YADC friends. You guys never fail to amaze me with your creativity, your beauty and your compassion. I am so blessed to have you all.